Cornelius Hankins (Mississippi/Tennessee/Virginia, 1863-1946) oil on canvas vertically oriented still life painting depicting a branch with two bunches of purple grapes with both fresh green and dried brown leaves, against a reddish-brown background. Signed and dated "Cornelius Hankins 1899", lower right. Housed in a carved, fluted giltwood frame. Sight: 23 1/4" H x 15 1/8" W. Frame: 28 1/2" H x 20 1/4" W. Biography: Mississippi-born Cornelius Hankins studied art in Nashville in 1883 under Professor Edwin M. Gardner and with Robert Henri, leader of the Ashcan School in St. Louis, and William Merritt Chase in New York. He taught in Richmond, Virginia for about 5 years before returning to Nashville to teach at the Nashville School of Art. He painted a number of still lifes and landscapes, but made most of his income from portraits. He painted a number of prominent Southern subjects including Civil War officers and several governors. (Source: The Tennessee Encyclopedia).

PROVENANCE: The Estate of Raymond White, Nashville, Tennessee.

CONDITION: Overall good condition with scattered slight abrasions to paint surface on the left border.